Standing side-stage at a well-known music festival at fourteen years old, entry-level DSLR around my neck, I felt like I was on top of the world.
I had no gear, no experience, and absolutely no idea how the heck I ended up there. A friend of mine in the music industry had told me that press passes were a great way to see my favorite bands for free and that you could actually turn it into a career. It sounded too good to be true, but I had no idea what I was actually in for. There’s no training period. You’re thrown straight into the photo pit with the rest of the photographers; you have to keep up or be left behind. And it’s awesome.
1. Make some friends and work for free.
I seriously can’t stress this enough: reach out to as many people as you possibly can. Learn how to draft professional emails and basic press contracts and email them to anyone and everyone you can find that works or tours through your local music scene. When you're first starting out trade your pictures for free admission to the show. Then network like crazy.
2. Learn Your Camera
A standard DSLR with a decent lens is enough to get the job done at your first concert. No need to blow all of your savings on the highest-quality wide-angle-lens money can buy before you’re absolutely sure that music photography is for you. It’s so important to become familiar with the settings and functions of your specific camera body.
3. Edit your photos.
Your job doesn’t end when the crowd goes home, invest in some photo editing software to make your pictures look as polished and professional as possible.
4. Get a website
ASAP. Like, yesterday. Get business cards, get a website, a Flickr, a blog. Literally, anything that will have your name and give you a presence. Flickr is honestly one of the best beginner portfolio websites. It allows you to share your photos while providing a great networking platform. You can even share the page with other photographers and get some great feedback.
5. Lights; Camera; ACTION
Venues are dark, dusty and crowded, which leaves a whole lot of room for error when trying to get the perfect shot. Plus, the members of the band don’t exactly stop playing in the middle of a song to pose for you. If you don’t own the gear you have to rely solely on the lighting of the venue and good timing. Pay attention to the repetitions of the orange, yellow and white lights for each song. That’s where you’ll get the colors closest to natural. Red and blue lights will have your pictures looking like something out of Tron (sorry, Mod). When all else fails black and white photography will be your best friend.
6. Confidence
Sometimes your job will include pre/post set interviews with the bands, maybe some profiles or after-hours photo shoots. Never done an interview before? Prepare for it and own it. Ask questions when you need to, admit your mistakes and accept criticism. Keep the vibe conversational and friendly, after all, half of keeping up with this job is in who you know.7. Photo pit etiquette
The majority of your job is crammed into the first three songs of each bands set. You’re led into the photo pit just before the set starts and escorted out before the band hits the final note of the third song. Get your photos quickly, but don't impede security. This may seem kind of obvious, but they’re there to protect you, the band, and the crowd. It’s kind of awkward maneuvering around them sometimes but honestly, they’ve saved me from being mowed over by stage divers more times than I can remember.